Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-07-22
THE DIFFERENCE.

There are in the Puritan church three
schools of theology; the old orthodoxy,
the new orthodoxy and the newest ortho-
doxy. The old orthodoxy holds that
God has chosen from eternity an elect
number, including certain elect infants.
to be saved, and has provided for their
salvation; that he has chosen another
reprobate number, perhaps including GER
tain reprobate infants. to be cternally
lost: that the damnation of the repro
bate and the salvation of the elect are
equally for his glory; and that the heath
ell who never heard of the gospel are
among those chosen for damnation. For
ii holds that no man can be saved with
out knowledge of Christ: that the light
of nature or of conscience is wholly in
sufficient for salvation. We Judge from
DIR. Patton's recent article in the Forum
that this doctrine is still held to a greater
or less extent in the old school branch of
the Presbyterian church. But we I'M
derstand the Congregatonalst to declare
that it is not held among the Congrega-
know of any Congregational organ or
representative who avows today belief in
it. 1t was held and publicly preached
fifty and perhaps twenty-five. years ago.
1t is held, at least it is preached, no long
er. We might almost call it a defunct
orthodoxy.
The new orthodoxy holds that Christ
died for all men; that the provision of
salvation is adequate for all men: that
no man will be saved except by means of
that provision which has been made for
salvation through Jesus Christ: that "a
knowledge of that salvation is not. how
ever, essential; and that whoever in this
life sincerely repents of his sins and
seeks forgiveness and better life. even
from an unknown God. will receive
eternal life through the Christ that will
be hereafter revealed to him.
The newest orthodoxy agrees with the
old orthodoxy and with the new ortho-
doXy that the human race is a lost race,
and that it can be saved only through the
provision made for salvation by Jesus
Christ and it agrees with the new ortho-
doXy that this provision is adequate for
the salvation of all men: but it holds.
more or less positively, that knowledge
of this provision is essential. and there
fore that a knowledge will be commune
Gated in another life to those who have
never received that knowledge in this
This we believe to be correct and col
orless definition of the three schools in
the churches of the Puritans- the old
orthodoxy. the new orthodoxy. and the
} newest orthodoxy. The present discus
sion in the Congregational churches is
between the new orthodoxy and the new
est orthodoxy. Neither the Congrega-
, tonalst nor the Advance nor any
. other representativ c of Congregational
faith avows belief in the old orthodoxy
that is. limited salvation for an elect
few. What, then, is the. difference be-
| tween the new orthodoxy and the newest
orthodoxy: 1t is this.
The new orthodoxy believes that every
man will be saved who would have be-
leved in Christ if he had known Christ;
the newest orthodoxy believes thar every
man will be saved who believes in Christ
when he knows Christ. The new Ortho-
a doXv holds that some heather will be
, saved by Christ, will know and accept
1 him when they are saved; the newest or
: thodoXy holds that some heather will
4 know and accept Christ and will be saved
when they know and accept him. And
this is all the difference between the new
orthodoxy and the newest orthodoxy.
Both believe the heather are lost and
must be saved if at all. by Christ: both
d believe that Christ will save some of
them both believe that Christ will be
t revealed to them hereafter though he has
not been revealed here both believe that
the heather so saved will sing the new
, song. 'Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain" But one school believes that the
9 heather will be saved first and know
Christ afterward. and the other school
e believes that the heather will know
Christ frat and he saved aftprWord